Information systems are used in a number of industries to provide a display and/or visualization of a variety of data points. Most of these data points exist as textual data. Quite often, the data points need to be maintained at certain ranges or levels. This requires that the user be able to look at the information system and quickly determine whether the data points require monitoring or intervention. Users must either be familiar with the normal or allowable ranges of each value or reference those ranges. In many situations it is not feasible for an individual to possess the normal ranges for every possible value entered into a certain type of information system. However, it is also not always feasible for the user to reference the allowable ranges due to time constraints.
For example, healthcare information systems currently provide the display and visualization of a variety of patient information, including vital signs, laboratory results, measurements, etc. Physicians, nurses and hospital personnel must either be familiar with the ranges of each value or reference normal ranges when these values appear on a patients chart. Because of the vast amount of information, it is not feasible for an individual to possess the normal ranges for every possible value entered into a healthcare information system. Furthermore, some conditions require immediate attention, creating dangerous time constraints that prevent constant reference to allowable ranges.
Typical communications use the red, yellow and green mapping of a stop light to quickly convey messages to the user. Red coloring can be used to indicate a dangerous or negative level. Yellow coloring can be used to indicate a cautious or neutral level. Green coloring indicates a normal or positive level. Unfortunately, these mappings only communicate absolute values. There is no way to indicate a degree of severity or importance within these broad categories.
In the healthcare context, certain dangerous levels may require immediate physician intervention. For lesser dangerous levels, a physician may not need more than an alert or memo to inform him or her of the condition. Current conventions only communicate the absolute values which may not provide the specificity needed for a physician to make an informed decision.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop an information system that quickly indicates the degree of importance or severity of certain data points. In the healthcare field, it would be desirable to develop a healthcare information system that quickly indicates the degree of severity of certain patient information.